{"id":2509,"date":"2016-12-04T13:36:35","date_gmt":"2016-12-04T13:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8888\/gophil\/?p=2509"},"modified":"2019-05-03T20:56:20","modified_gmt":"2019-05-03T20:56:20","slug":"from-self-help-to-successful-social-enterprise-reaching-out-in-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gophilanthropic.org\/from-self-help-to-successful-social-enterprise-reaching-out-in-vietnam\/","title":{"rendered":"From Self-Help to Successful Social Enterprise: REACHING OUT in Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"
When we at GoPhil first learned of the Vietnamese crafts shop, Reaching Out, a social enterprise supporting people with disabilities in Hoi An, we were intrigued. We poked into the workshop one day with our travelers and were impressed with the efficiency and care in which the shop was run. Employees were busily engaged in handcrafting their wares\u2026 chatting, smiling and laughing as they worked. We met the Founders, Binh and Quyen, who were clearly devoted to a model that does good by employing local residents who produce high quality products at a reasonable price. Over the span of a few years, we saw the expansion of the craft shop to include a very special sister teashop as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We assumed the program was a locally run NGO.\u00a0 Much to our surprise, as we got to know RO better, we learned that it was one of the only social enterprise programs located in the area. With GoPhil\u2019s sincere interest in the development of\u00a0 innovative and enterprising approaches that demonstrate sustainability, we had to learn more. Why social enterprise vs. an NGO? What lessons could we all learn from this model? What are their next steps? What follows is an article written by one of our good friends, Elaine Head, on the evolution of this program and what we can all learn by the shining example of Reaching Out.<\/span><\/p>\n From Self-Help to Social Enterprise: REACHING OUT in Vietnam<\/b><\/p>\n by Elaine Head<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n “We have never thought of Reaching Out as a “charity”. From the beginning, we knew that the path to independence for our disabled staff should be based on\u00a0<\/i><\/span>their<\/i><\/span>\u00a0abilities, not on gifts or donations from others. The direct correlation between their production, creativity, and involvement in decision-making and the success of the business has empowered them.”\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n A most important ingredient in the rock hard foundation of Reaching Out <\/i>is the dedication of Mr. Binh and Ms. Quyen who never lose sight of their social purpose: to enable PWD\u2019s to learn a trade and become self supporting, independent and fully integrated into their communities. This video, although filmed a few years ago, still tells the story behind their motto \u201cYes You Can!\u201d<\/div>\n\n